War Babies/ music by James F. Hanley; words by Ballard Mcdonald and Edward Madden

Lyrics:First verseForsaken, alone, amid tumbled down stone, In the dust of what once was a home, Two little tots lay, as the close of the day Cast its shadow o'er Heaven's blue dome, From afar in the gloom came the cannon's dull boom, The roar of its shells filled the air, And it lulled them to rest tightly held to the breast of the mother who died for them there:ChorusLittle war babies, our hearts ache for you, Where will you go to, and what will you do? Into a world full of sorrow you came, Homeless, and helpless, no one knows your name, Gone is the mother love, tender and true, Gone is your dear daddy, too, But you'll share in the joys of our own girls and boys, War babies, we'll take care of you. Little war babies, our hearts ache for you, Where will you go to, and what will you do? Into a world full of sorrow you came, Homeless, and helpless, no one knows your name, Gone is your dear daddy, too, But you’ll share in the joys of our own girls and boys, War babies, we’ll take care of you.
Second verseWhile sitting some night by your fireside bright, With the children you love and adore, Just let your thoughts roam to that tumbled down home That once stood in the pathway of war, As the vision appears, you can see thru your tears The two little tots all alone, Will you wait till they plead for the things that they need? Just suppose those two babes were your own:
(Chorus)

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The derogatory terms, images, and ideas that appear in some of this sheet music are not condoned by the University of Mississippi. They do represent the attitudes of a number of Americans at the times the songs were published. As such, it is hoped that the sheet music in this collection can aid students of music, history, and other disciplines to better understand popular American music and racial stereotypes from the 19th- and early 20th-centuries. Read the introduction for further information to use when contextualizing this item: http://130.74.92.141/cdm4/intro_harris.php